Leitch

The list of regular newspaper columnists we like is small — Joe Posnanski, a couple other guys — but one person who's definitely on it is T.J. Simers of The Los Angeles Times. He's enough of a hilarious grump to make us keep coming back, and he always does everything in his power to piss off pretty much anyone with earshot.

If you'll remember, Simers was once on ESPN's "Around The Horn" before being canned from the show for writing critical things about it in his column. In an interview with The Big Lead, Simers expands on the whole issue.

I ripped "Around the Horn" like I rip my boss, wife, CEO of our company, Dodgers etc....I started ripping "Around the Horn" before it went on the air, ripping myself as much as anyone. So I get a call telling me I'm being taken off the show for a few days and if I stop ripping the show I'll be back on. So I ripped the show the next day.
Now I find it amusing to hear ESPN talking heads wondering whether Bryant Gumbel should be fired from his NFL gig for his nasty remarks in regards to the NFL. You can rip anyone, and ESPN would prefer you did, so long as you don't rip ESPN. And no, no interest in going back under those conditions.

He also has some fun things to say about Scoop Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Jim McMahon blowing his nose on him. Well worth a read.